Tariquzzaman Tapan, once-familiar small and big screen comedian, dies of cancer at 60

He was in the “fourth stage” of oesophageal cancer, his family says

Tariquzzaman Tapan, who played a comedian in movies and the small screen, has died of cancer at the age of 60, his family has confirmed.

The actor breathed his last at his Rampura residence in Dhaka on Friday night, his eldest son Tashfiq Zaman said.

He told Glitz, "My father departed us at 8:05pm. He was brought home from the hospital. He died at home."

Tapan was suffering from oesophageal cancer. He was admitted to the ICU of a Dhaka hospital on Thursday after his condition deteriorated.

After a first funeral in Aftabnagar late Friday night, the body will be taken to Dhanbari Upazila in Tangail, where the second and last funeral prayers will be offered at 10am on Saturday.

He will be buried in the family graveyard there.

On Wednesday, his wife Sabina Helen told Glitz: "Tapan's condition is not good. Doctors say the cancer is in the 'fourth stage'. He has been given three courses of chemotherapy.

But drastic weight loss forced doctors to withdraw the chemotherapy, she recounted, adding that Tapan could not eat anything.

Tapan's films include “Alta Banu”, “Thikana”, and “Ja Chhilo Ondhokare”.

He also worked on television dramas “Joda Shalik”, “Haatchhani”, “Olpe Golpe”, and “Mrittikar Jatra”.